


Aware

by tsundo



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: M/M, Past Elita One/Optimus Prime!, Self Harm, Slight Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 11:56:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20291071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsundo/pseuds/tsundo
Summary: You can handle yourself pretty well in situations but this one just happens to be an unlucky one, where you’re captured by the Decepticons. Optimus and the Autobots have to come save you but it leaves both you and Optimus a little shaken in the aftermath.





	Aware

“Are you sure you will be alright?” Optimus asks you, for potentially the 8th time this month. You had accidentally met the Autobots when you were on your way home from work one day, having taken the graveyard shift and leaving when it was still dark when you fell asleep at the horn and crashed into an Autobot. It definitely was a wakeup call and now you were stuck with being given a guardian.

Problem was, you were a fully grown adult and being treated like that made you a little unhappy. After all, it made sense if the children were being babysat but you weren’t all for that due to your age. The one called Optimus grew increasingly concerned over your wellbeing, often asking you whether or not you needed a guardian and that the option was always open. You knew Ratchet wasn’t exactly open to being put on babysitting duty and Optimus wouldn’t have been the best choice, with how busy he always was and the fact he was the leader of the Autobots. They needed him here. Not babysitting a grown adult.

“Yes, Optimus, I assure you I’ll be fine,” you replied evenly. “I’m just going home, I doubt any Decepticon is gonna jump me,” you said. Optimus let out a worried hum and stood back up to go back to his work. You let out a quiet sigh when Optimus walked away. Why he was so protective and worried over you was something you have been wondering for the past few months. You had to admit you had a crush on the guy. But you couldn’t say anything since, well first you were a guy and romantic attraction on Cybertron’s planet was something you weren’t familiar with. That and the fact you were a HUMAN and he most definitely was not. You put on your helmet and got on your motorcycle, it was a red sport motorcycle you had owned for many years and you were very attached to it. Revving the engine for a bit, Ratchet opened the gate and you sped through, waving goodbye for a quick second before looking ahead. The sunset off to the side was beautiful as always so you decided to go on a little detour instead just to enjoy your sweet time. After making a fair amount of distance to the next town essentially, your eye caught on a car beginning to tail you. Dropping your head just for a moment out of annoyance, you drove into the town, hoping to cut whoever was tailing you off. Your eye caught on an abandoned warehouse and you took a sharp left, entering the warehouse and stopping in there for a quick moment. Your engine stood idle before you heard a car drive in with a loud vroom. You let out an annoyed grunt before catching on a ramp up to the next level of the warehouse. You sped around the car in a circle to try and confuse it before driving up the ramp.

“C'mon c'mon there’s gotta be a way out,” you said to yourself. You then saw an open window and revved your engine. Someone must have turned it into a stunt place out of boredom, given the small ramp leading out of the window. You sped up, jumping off the ramp and seeing the end of it at ground level. During mid air though, something hit you, knocking you off your bike and throwing you to the ground, your head impacting against the pavement, immediately knocking you out.

You awoke to your hands being in chains, your body hanging a few feet above the ground. You looked around frantically but stayed quiet. The doors opened and a familiar face ‘graced’ your presence.

“Airachnid,” you growled through gritted teeth.

“Hello, (y/n), nice to see you again,” Airachnid smiled.

“What do you want,” you snapped.

“Oh, you know. Lord Megatron has specifically requested that I-” Airachnid was cut off as the door opened with a release of air. Megatron stepped through, Airachnid stepping off to the side and bowing. “Lord Megatron, I,” Airachnid looked for an excuse but couldn’t find one.

“Silence, Airachnid, going behind my back other times may be excused but not this time,” Megatron snapped. His optics then landed on you and you glared at him. “So you’ve managed to capture the little bug, good,” he said.

“Naturally, Breakdown needed my help,” Airachnid bragged. “Without my web, they would have gotten away,” she said, looking over towards you with a sadistic grin.

“Get squished,” you spat towards Airachnid.

“A fiery temper this human has,” Megatron commented before stepping forward and gripping your torso tightly. You struggled to breathe and his red optics flared for a moment, taking amusement in your pain. You let out a strangled breath and he let you go, taking in a deep breath, heaving your lungs. “Set up the camera, I want to send a little message to our friends of ours,” Megatron ordered.

“I’ll get Soundwave, Lord Megatron,” Airachnid said before leaving the room. Once she left, you looked towards Megatron with absolute hatred and anger.

“If you’re trying to get the location of the Autobots base out of me, you’re out of luck,” you hissed. Megatron gave a low laugh and pulled you forward with his servos.

“That’s too bad, if you had given the location to us we would have let you go,” Megatron lied. You spat in his face and he recoiled for a moment before anger overtook him. “So the bug fights back even in the web,” Megatron said, squeezing your body once again, harder this time to where you knew there were going to be bruises on your ribs. He let you go and you panted, head dropping down from the pain. “We’ll get the location out of you, worm. Sooner or later, you’ll crack.” A release of air enacted from the door as Soundwave entered. “Soundwave,” Megatron smiled. “Send a message to Optimus Prime and his Autobots,” he said. “We have his pet.”

・・・

“Incoming message from… Megatron?” Ratchet announced.

“Play the message,” Optimus ordered. Ratchet put it on the screen and was shocked to see you in there. Optimus’ optics widened when they immediately landed on you in the background.

“Hello, Optimus,” Megatron said, a wicked smile on his face.

“I believe I have something that belongs to you,” he motioned towards you, the camera zooming in. There were cuts all over your face, as if Megatron had been tracing his claw all over various spots to make you bleed. You were breathing shallowly before looking up towards Soundwave.

“Guess I’m not fine, Optimus,” you laughed weakly.

“Come and get them, Optimus,” Megatron said. “I’ll keep them… good company while they’re here, but I have to say. You better come find them quickly unless you want to see your pet perish at the hands of me.” He shot a servos towards you and pinched your head together with his digits like he was holding a grape. Your head was held up and finally the feeling of fear filled your core as you looked towards Soundwave. The connection was cut off and Optimus stepped back for a moment, trying to process what was happening. He had to keep his composure but the worry he had in his chassis was spilling out and all the Autobots were noticing it. He didn’t say anything until Ratchet got his attention by placing a servos on his shoulder.

“We’ll get them back, Optimus,” Ratchet assured.

“Have you got a location on where (y/n) is?” Optimus asked.

“The signal from their helmet is still being sent, as long as the tracker is intact within it, we’ll be able to find (y/n),” Ratchet replied. Optimus let his shoulders fall out of slight relief. “Opening the ground bridge now,” he said, pulling the lever down.

“Autobots, roll out,” Optimus said with fervor. No matter what he was going to get you back, even if it meant risking his own life.

・・・

You could barely see what was going on in front of you. The constant questioning of where the Autobot’s base was soon becoming background noise and you simply hung there, head dropped down out of exhaustion, blood dripping from the cuts on your face. A loud bang came from Megatron as he slammed his arm on the metal wall, snapping your head up as he got your attention.

“Let me ask this ONE more time,” Megatron hissed. “Where is the Autobot base located?!”

“I’ll… never… betray my family like that,” you said quietly, through gritted teeth.

“Then your usefulness to me has run out,” Megatron said in a low voice. “Unfortunate for you, of course.” He then reached a servos towards you before an energy blast shot him away from you. Bright lights filled your eyes as you snapped your head towards the doorway, where Optimus was standing, his mouthplate on and cannon out towards Megatron. His optics were full of anger but once they landed on you, his gaze softened. “So, Optimus, you finally came for your pet and we were having such a good time too, the red on their face looks so pretty,” Megatron said, getting up from his kneeling position. Optimus soon lost his cool and charged towards Megatron, tackling him down and punching Megatron with as much force as possible. You could tell how angry Optimus, especially when he pointed his cannon straight at Megatron’s face. Megatron only let out a laugh as he looked at Optimus. “Go ahead, finish it,” Megatron coaxed. The anger that controlled Optimus earlier soon went away and he got off of Megatron, standing up.

“No,” Optimus said. He put his cannon away and instead ripped off a piece of metal from the wall and drove it through Megatron’s shoulder, a pained grunt coming from him as he was pinned to the ground. Optimus turned away and approached you, taking the cuffs off and taking your weak body into his servos. “Let’s go home, (y/n),” Optimus said softly, taking you out of the cell and leaving Megatron in the room. “I have (y/n), Autobots, fall back,” Optimus communicated. You were having trouble staying conscious as Optimus carried you in his servos. Soon you passed out in his servos out of exhaustion.

“(y/n)? (y/n)!” June’s voice echoed. You blinked blearily as a friendly face came into view. “Oh, thank god you came to.”

“Did I pass out again?” you said trying to sit up. You clutched at your chest and June pushed you gently down back on the bed.

“Easy now, your chest looks like it’s been through a lot,” June said. You looked at yourself now and realised you were shirtless. Bruises from Megatron’s servos were heavily imprinted on your chest, you still felt like your ribs were on fire and it hurt to breathe. You sat up anyway, ignoring June’s protests. “Where, where’s Optimus?” you asked. You clutched your side and looked around.

“He hasn’t come out of his berthroom since you got here,” Arcee replied. “Seeing you like that really shook him up, we were all worried. And hey,” she said, gesturing to your motorcycle. “We managed to get this back too, Ratchet fixed it up for you while you were asleep.” You slid your legs to the side of the bed and stood up.

“You’re not leaving the base, if that’s what you’re doing,” June scolded.

“I’m not,” you said quietly. “I just need to be alone for a bit.” You walked off towards the hall, where June, Miko, Raf and Jack looked towards each other with worry.

“Are they going to be alright?” Raf asked.

“They will be. They just need to be alone for a bit,” June assured. “What they’ve been through is something that shouldn’t have happened.”

・・・

You entered the training room you had set up a while ago for you and the kids. It was a way to stay alert and vigilant while knowing how to fight. As you passed by the punching bag, you punched it before stopping in front of it. You were angry at yourself. Incredibly angry. The fact you let yourself get caught when you had been telling Optimus the exact opposite made you feel weak and worthless. Out of anger you punched the punching bag. Then again, and again, and again. You didn’t care if your knuckles began to bleed as you punched it, it was just another way to punish yourself. For failing Optimus and putting the others in danger over your careless act. You let out a yell as you then gave the punching bag a roundhouse kick, catching the bag’s recoil and slumping down into a kneeling position, panting from the exertion. This time sadness overcame you and you slammed a fist down onto the concrete floor, crying out. Hot, angry tears flowed down your cheeks as you bit back a sob. Your head hung down as you slammed the floor multiple times, trying to cry it out. After letting it out and taking a few deep breaths, you sat up, exhaling shakily and standing up.

You looked at your knuckles which were now bloodied, dried blood caked on the skin and you moved your hand for just a moment and hissed with pain. With a loud sigh, you go over to the first aid table you had set up for everyone in case they got hurt during sparring sessions and began to wrap your hands with the available bandaging. After flipping your hand back and forth to examine the handiwork, you exited the training room. When you passed by June and the kids, you got on your motorcycle and turned it on. June stood up to try to stop you but you looked at her softly.

“I’m going on a quick ride, I’ll be back soon,” you said gently. With that you left the base, taking it easy on the motorcycle. You were surprised to see it was night time but it made sense, it felt like hours you were stuck in that godawful cell with Megatron. A soft smile grows on your face as you get off the road and begin riding up the giant rock formation. It was a place you used to come to as a kid whenever you needed time to yourself or get away from it all. You got off of your bike and walked all the way near the edge, sitting down and looking off in the distance as you hugged your legs close to you. You sat in silence for a while until you heard loud footsteps behind you. You turned to see Optimus approaching you.

・・・

Optimus, having confined himself to his berthroom, didn’t realise you were awake until Ratchet knocked on the door, telling him that you recovered quite well. When Optimus asked if he could see you, Ratchet said right now wasn’t the best time.

“They’re in the training room if you want to see them,” Ratchet informed. “But the way they left the room earlier, it’s probably best we leave them alone.” Optimus nodded and Ratchet left his room but something at at him that made him want to see you. Flashbacks earlier from today kept playing through his mind like a movie, seeing your face cut up from Megatron’s claws, face bloodied to the point he wouldn’t have been able to recognise you, and the fact that Megatron was really willing to kill you. If Optimus had lost you, he wouldn’t have known what to do. In a burst of emotion, he got off the computer, paused his work, and exited his berthroom, walking down the hallway to go find you. He drew near the training room to hear you grunting. He decided against going in and instead watched you from the doorway, watching you pummel the punching bag in bursts of anger. When he heard you let out a yell and watched you kick the punching bag with a powerful kick, he drew back further, about to leave. Until you dropped to the floor and slammed a fist on the ground, hanging your head down as you cried. You were never open to being vulnerable so Optimus seeing this was something he knew he shouldn’t have seen. He wanted to comfort you with all his heart but he instead stepped back and left, worried he might overstep and even betray your trust for watching you be so vulnerable.

When you left the base, Optimus entered the common area to see June and the children looking towards the tunnel with worry.

“You all should be home right now,” Optimus said. “I’ll go after them, do not worry.” With that he turned into his altmode and drove out to follow you.

・・・

“May I join you?” Optimus asked you softly. You patted the spot next to you and he walked over to sit down beside you. The two of you sat in silence for a while before you spoke up.

“I’m really sorry about last night,” you said. Guilt welled up in your chest as you said those words, a frown on your face as you rested your chin on top of your knees, hugging your legs closer to yourself. “What happened back there, I… I just felt so useless and weak,” you murmured.

“What you did was your best to get away from them,” Optimus said. “You were outnumbered and you did everything you could to evade them, this is something you should not be apologising for.” You stayed silent for a moment, taking in what Optimus said to you. That near death experience though made you realise you needed to tell Optimus. At least… let him know how you really felt, especially if the likelihood of dying wasn’t going to get any lower.

“Optimus, I… I need to tell you something,” you stated, eyes fixed on the horizon in front of you. His optics landed on you and watched you fumble with your words. “After… after what I experienced today, almost dying, if you hadn’t been there to save me I’d be,” you pause for a moment in attempt to swallow down your fear, but you’re unable to finish the sentence. “I just. I need you to know this at least, because maybe I’ll never get the chance to say it.” You take a deep breath and let go of your legs, sitting up straighter. “I have feelings for you.” Optimus doesn’t answer for a moment and you feel your heart sink just a little bit. You knew this was folly in the first place. But you needed to let him know.

“I know,” Optimus finally replied. You look up towards him with a bewildered expression to where he lets out a soft chuckle. “Your actions and feelings towards me do not go unnoticed, (y/n),” he said. “But your feelings do not go unreciprocated either.” You blinked for a moment and felt your face heat up. He gives you a smile and you begin to think you look like a tomato right now. “Seeing you today like that… made me realise I needed you more than ever. And that I would be willing to do anything to protect you.”

“I didn’t think you’d feel the same,” you said. “I… I still remember when you punched Ratchet in front of all of us, Optimus… when he was speaking about Elita One and…” you trailed off. You watched him tense for a moment as the memories were brought up and his optics look wistful for just a moment. “She still means a lot to you after all this time, doesn’t she?”

“Time heals all wounds, (y/n),” Optimus replied. “But the physical wounds are the ones to heal the fastest.” You give a light laugh.

“They never tell you about the scars it leaves,” you said, looking up to him now with a sad smile. He gives a hum in understanding and you climb onto his leg, where Optimus offers his servos and you climb on, sitting on your knees as you faced him. After a moment of silence of just looking into his optics, you spoke up. “Can I try something?” you asked gently.

“What is it?” Optimus replied, the gaze he held towards you full of affection. You leaned forward and kissed Optimus, feeling cold metal that was quickly replaced with warmth underneath. Optimus shut his optics and kissed back, trying to be gentle as possible so as to not push you off his servos. You pulled away when you needed air and Optimus opened his optics to look at you once again. A warm smile grows on his face and he raises his servos to trace your cheek with a digit. He set you down with his servos and you nuzzled up to him, leaning onto his warm frame. “If you’re still willing, I’d like to be your guardian,” Optimus asked quietly. You hummed in response as you thought about it.

“I should have said yes in the very beginning,” you replied. A smile graced Optimus’ lips and while you didn’t look up, you knew he was smiling.


End file.
